Baby, It's Fact
by argentenipinkini
Summary: Lilly and Oliver are both keeping something from Miley. Lilly is secretly dating Miley's older brother and Oliver is in love with her. What will happen when it all comes out in the open? Straight up Moliver with some Lackson
1. Just Shut Your Mouth, Boy!

Summary: It's almost Christmas and Lilly and Oliver both have secrets they're hiding from Miley. What exactly are they hiding, and what will they do to prevent her from finding out? And when will it all come out in the open? Basically Moliver.

A/N: Hey, this is my first Hannah Montana story and I'm really excited about it. Oh, and this takes place about two years from where it is now, so they are all 16. Please, please review! If you read this story, review each chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hannah Montana and anything related to the Disney Channel Show. And the title is a Hellogoodbye song.

**--Baby, It's Fact--**

Chapter One: Just Shut Your Mouth, Boy!

On a sunny day in Malibu, Miley Stewart, Lilly Truscott and Oliver Oken all decided to go down to the beach, a place that seemed only natural to end up at on a quiet Saturday afternoon in December. For them.

"So Miley, when's Hannah Montana's next concert?" asked Oliver. Miley shrugged before answering. Lilly and she were both carrying beach bags while Oliver held a six pack of root beer.

"I'm not sure. I think she's supposed to have a special Christmas concert on Christmas Eve, but I don't know if I want to go through with it."

"Why not?" asked Lilly.

"Well, just cuz it's the day before Christmas, and I'd rather be Miley Stewart during the holidays than Hannah Montana."

"Yeah, but I was kinda hoping you'd have one so that I could go to it," said Oliver.

"Oliver, you go to a bunch of them already. And Lilly, you go to almost every single one she has. What's so special about a Christmas concert?" They reached a good spot for lounging and after placing a big blanket on the sand, all three of them sat down.

"Hey," said Lilly, defending herself. "I didn't say I wanted to go to one." Realizing how that sounded, she tried to correct herself. "What I mean is…well, you know what I mean!" She slapped Oliver's shoulder. "Oliver, answer Miley's question," she said hastily. He ignored her slap and just grinned.

"Well, since you ask, I'll have you know that I have a hot date for Christmas Eve." Miley and Lilly both just stared at him. They looked at each other, and then back at Oliver. Then they both burst into laughter.

"What?" asked Lilly.

"That's right!" Oliver exclaimed, ignoring their giggles and punching the air in front of him with two fists. "The Smokin' Oken's still got it!"

"Um, Oliver, none of ever thought you'd lost _it_," Miley said, trying not to laugh, but not being too successful. Oliver made a face.

"Fine. Then, the Smokin' Oken strikes again!" He stood up and started to do a little Oliver dance.

"So who's the, um…lucky girl?" asked Lilly, also trying not to laugh.

"What, you think I'm going to tell you guys now when you're obviously just going to start laughing at me again?"

"Hey, we're not _laughing _at you," Miley said, clutching her stomach, starting to laugh even harder. "We're laughing _with_ you." Oliver arched his eyebrow.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"You don't really have a date, do you Oliver?" asked Lilly.

"And especially not a 'hot' date," Miley added. They both stared at him. He gradually started to turn red.

"Yes I do!" Oliver shouted. His voice squeaked as he said it.

"Oh come on." Miley stopped laughing. "Are you trying to tell Lilly and I that you actually got a girl to go out with you without the help of either of us?"

"And for Christmas Eve?" Lilly added.

"Yes!"

"Okay!" Miley and Lilly both said at the same time. They then started to laugh once more.

"Okay, so what are _your_ plans, Li-lly?" Oliver asked in a slightly obnoxious, sing song voice. Lilly immediately stopped laughing. She pointed at Oliver.

"You already know what I'm doing. It's the same every year." Miley gave her a questioning look. She sounded a little nervous when she said that. Oliver was shaking his head.

"My grandparents are visiting and we're having a big dinner. That's it!"

"Oh, no, no, no. That's not what I heard!"

"Oliver, what are you talking about?" Lilly's face also started to turn red. Miley just watched the two of them.

"A little birdie told me that…" Lilly stood up and went over to Oliver. She put both her hands over his mouth before he could finish his sentence.

"OLIVER, what did you HEAR?" Miley was starting to get really curious. She couldn't figure out what Lilly was freaking out about.

"Ooh, yes. Come on, Oliver. Spit it out," she said.

"No!" Lilly shouted. "Oliver," she said in a calm, but obviously fake voice as she grabbed his shirt and pulled him up with her. "I need to talk to you in private."

"Are you serious?" Miley asked. She got up, too.

"No, Miley. Please stay here." Lilly gave Oliver a look that made Miley laugh.

"Why? What's going on? Are you guy's hiding something from me? Like a _secret_?" She said it jokingly.

"I just need to talk to the Smokin' Oken here for a second, okay?" Lilly answered. Miley sat back down.

"Jeez, fine. Make a person feel even more unwanted, why don'tcha?"

"Excuse me?" Lilly asked already walking away.

"Nothing, nothing, don't mind me. Go do your thang!" Lilly, who still had one hand over Oliver's mouth, continued walking her and Oliver away, behind a small tree.

"Who told you?" Lilly asked, her eyes practically bulging out of her face. She took her hand away from his mouth.

"Will you calm down?" Oliver asked. "It's not that big a deal."

"Yes it is!" She was yelling in a whisper.

"Stop yelling at me!" Oliver whisper yelled.

"We're both whispering!" Lilly whisper yelled back.

"Okay," said Oliver, his voice back to a regular whisper. "Will you just tell me why it's such a big deal that you and—" Lilly put her hands over his mouth again. He smacked them away.

"Stop! She's not even here!"

"Don't say it."

"Once again. It's not that big a deal."

"Um, Oliver? Do you even know what the definition of a BIG deal is?" She had her arms crossed in front of her.

"Lilly, I just don't understand why you won't tell her. You and he have liked each other for a long time now. It's going to come out in the open eventually. Don't you want to be the one to break the news to her?" Lily just glared at him.

"Are you really trying to give me advice on telling people their SECRETS, Mr. I'm-So-In-Love-With-You-Know-Who-That-I-Have-To-Make-Up-Fake-Dates-To-Get-Her-To-Notice-ME?" Oliver's eyes widened and he gasped. He pointed at her.

"You said you wouldn't bring that up again!" She whacked his finger away and stepped closer to him.

"Yeah, well maybe I lied!" she said smugly. He looked down at his feet and kicked some sand around.

"I just haven't figured out what to say to her and when to say it to her," he said quietly. Lilly just rolled her eyes.

"Oliver, it's been forever now. You have to tell Miley." She put her hand on his shoulder. "Look, it's the holidays. It's the perfect time to tell her how you feel."

"Yeah, but whenever I even think about letting her know, I think about the time she compared her love for me to that of a pet fish."

"Yes, that's true. But remember, she said she'd cry for you if you were a pet fish that died." Oliver just frowned at her.

"Hey, you need to get over that. Back then you didn't even like her. You only liked Hannah Montana. And yeah, she didn't like you either, but who knows now? She might have changed her mind." Oliver nodded.

"Yeah, but wouldn't you know if she did? You're her best friend."

"Um, you're her best friend too."

"Yeah, but you guys do that whole girly girl gossip thing." Lilly rolled her eyes again.

"Whatever. No, I don't know if she likes you. _You_ need to find out for yourself. And you need to not mention Jackson and me _ever_ again. Miley can't find out yet."

"Yeah, well Miley can't find out my secret yet either," he said.

Suddenly they heard a third voice.

"Find out what exactly?"

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A/N: So, just tell me what you think in a nice little review, okay? Thanks!

Danielle


	2. Remember that Thing that Happened?

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, dear readers! I hope to get _much_ more this time. I'd really like some real feedback on this story. Just tell me what you liked, didn't like, what you think about it overall…You know! I tried to make this chapter longer.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hannah Montana and anything related to the Disney Channel Show. And the title is a Hellogoodbye song.

**--Baby, It's Fact--**

Chapter Two: Remember that Thing that Happened?

Lilly and Oliver froze. It was Miley and she was walking towards them. They both stared at her with slightly panicked looks. Oliver turned red. Soon she was right in front of them.

"Hey, Miley. Didn't see you there," said Lilly uneasily. Miley crossed her arms across her chest. She looked annoyed.

"Lilly, you knew I was right over there! You guys have been talking over here without me for like, fifteen minutes now. You left me hanging! And what were you guys talking about, I'd like to know?" She started to tap her right foot; she meant business.

"Oh nothing, really," Oliver said, finally finding his voice. It came out surprisingly calm.

"What did you hear us say?" asked Lilly, trying to act nonchalant. Miley narrowed her eyes at her best friend.

"Nothing really. I just heard something about Oliver keeping a secret from me." She then focused her look at Oliver. "And _what_ exactly are you hiding from me, Oliver Oken?" Oliver looked at Lilly, hoping for some sort of guidance. Lilly ignored him.

"Miley, if it's a secret, then you're obviously not supposed to know," he said. He decided he was going to play it cool and try to distract her.

"_Actually_, I don't really care about that. I'd just like to know." She wasn't tapping her foot anymore, and to Oliver, that seemed like a good sign.

"No you don't!" said Lilly quickly.

"Okay, fiiine," he said in an exaggerated tone. Lilly shot Oliver a look that seemed to ask, _What are you doing? _Oliver just shot her what he thought was a confidant glance. "I'll tell you. See, Lilly?" he asked, while turning towards her. "I told you we wouldn't be able to keep this from her for long!" Lilly immediately turned towards him.

"Keep _what_ from her?" she asked him through gritted teeth.

"Well, the fact is," Oliver started, looking directly at Miley, "My date for your concert is actually," he put his arm around Lilly's shoulders, "Lilly." Lilly promptly tried to get away from his hold, but he used his little Oliver muscles that had only decided to appear right then to keep her in his grip. Finally she stopped struggling. They were both looking at Miley's face for her reaction. She blinked once, but her coloring seemed normal. Lilly was grateful for that.

"Come again?" she asked, and her accent came out stronger than usual. Lilly just put on a stupid grin after glaring at Oliver, and nodded, painfully. Oliver grinned too, glad that she was going to play along.

"Yes…it's true," she stated, and it looked like it hurt her to do so. "That's why I didn't want you to know." There was silence for almost a whole minute. Oliver started to whistle, but then stopped when Lilly elbowed him the side. Miley opened her mouth to speak again.

"Are you guys, seriously…," she struggled to think of a good word to pose her confusion with and ended her question with, "serious?" Miley couldn't seem to comprehend what her two best friends were implying. "Are you guys trying to tell me that you're…DATING?" The last part came out as a slight yell.

"Well actually," started Oliver, but he was cut off.

"No!" screeched Lilly. "It just means that we have a date. _One_ date. For _your_ concert. So really, it's not a _real_ date. Right, Oken?" She still wanted to save herself from having to pretend to date Oliver. He seemed to go for it. He dropped his arm from her shoulders.

"Yeah, that's right." He chucked nervously. Miley just made a weird face at them.

"You guys are acting pretty strange…I don't really know why, but I also don't think I _want_ to know. I'm just going to ignore it, and pretend this whole little scene didn't happen."

"Good idea!" said Oliver.

"_Excellent_ idea," added Lilly. Miley shook her head.

"So, are we going to go have some root beers and chill now?" she asked. Her two friends nodded their blonde and brunette heads rigorously, and then the three of them walked back to their spot on the beach and the abandoned blanket.

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"Oh, my, gosh," breathed out Oliver after they dropped Miley off at her house. He was walking Lilly home. Actually, Lilly was skateboarding, and he was holding all of her stuff. "I cannot believe how close that was."

"What was so close?"

"You know what I'm talking about, Lilly. The _incident_." He whispered the last word like it was a swear. Lilly laughed.

"Oh that. She didn't hear anything. Plus, remember, 'it's not a big deal'."

"Oh ha-ha," he said. "If she had come by two seconds earlier she would have found out both of our secrets."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. It's a good thing she didn't." Oliver nodded in agreement. They reached Lilly's house a few seconds later.

"Well, see you at school tomorrow," Oliver said to Lilly. She picked up her board and put it under her arm.

"Yeah." She turned away. He was about to leave when she turned back around and called to him.

"Oh, and Oliver?" He faced her again.

"Don't you _ever_ pretend to date me. Ever again." He grinned sheepishly.

"I'm sorry. My mind just drew a blank. It was all I could think of." Lilly sighed.

"I understand that, I guess, but still. It's no excuse. I don't want to get involved in some silly 'love triangle' with you too." She rolled her eyes at the thought. Oliver laughed. "Especially since I like somebody else." She appeared to look off into nothing for a second, thinking about Jackson, presumably. Oliver coughed and she ended her little daydream. Immediately she continued their conversation.

"Oh, and you and me?" She pointed to both of them as she said it. "Yeah. That's never going to happen."

"Yeah…but you have to admit, a triangle would make things interesting." Lilly slapped his arm.

"Ow, what was that for?"

"Do you know who you're talking to?"

"My supposed best friend Lilly, who apparently likes to abuse her friends in exchange for thoughts?" He kept a straight face when he said it. Lilly did not laugh.

"Whatever, Oliver. Never mind."

"Okay." Suddenly, he got a cheesy grin on his face.

"Why are you smiling like that?" Lilly asked, afraid of the answer.

"I'm just picturing you and Miley fighting over me." Lilly slapped his arm again.

"OW! Stop that!"

"You stop! Stop forgetting that I'm a _girl_. I don't want to hear about your weird, boy fantasies." He kept smiling.

"What are grinning about now?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said mischievously, dragging out the word. "Just picturing you guys getting physically angry at each other and me stepping in between to save you from yourselves." Lilly gave him a disgusted look.

"_What_? It could happen." She continued to glare at him. "Hey, I have muscles." He flexed for her. She poked it.

"That muscle?" He nodded.

"I've been working out."

"I wasn't complimenting it, you doughnut."

"Why do I have to be a doughnut again? It's _always_ me."

"That's because you're _always_ a doughnut."

"Well, come on. I'm pretty strong now. Way stronger than last year. I could pick you and Miley up at the same time. Easily."

"Okay, well, you keep on thinking that."

"Actually, I do remember a certain YOU not being able to get away from my _strong_ hold earlier." Lilly blushed.

"Yeah, well?" She thought of something to say. "I don't know." She couldn't think of anything to say.

"You don't know what?" Oliver prodded. Lilly sighed loudly.

"_Fine_. I guess you're a little stronger than before. But honestly, those little muscles came out of nowhere!"

"I told you, I've been working out." He flexed again.

"Whatever. Goodbye!" She turned him around and pushed him away from her.

"See ya."

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"Hey, Lilly?" Miley asked the next day while they were walking to their second period class. They had three classes in total together, two of them with Oliver, who in turn had one class with each of them alone. They were walking to English, the one class with no Oken.

"Yes, dear?" Lilly answered in a syrupy sweet voice.

"I was just wondering if yesterday really was a whole sham?"

"What are you talking about?" She decided to feign ignorance to her best friend's obvious question.

"You know what I'm talking about, Lilly." Lilly still didn't say anything. They walked into the classroom. Miley sighed when Lilly still didn't say anything. "I'm talking about you and Oliver." Lilly managed a weak chuckle. They found their seats. Miley sat down in front of Lilly in the back of the middle row.

"I thought we were all going to forget that little encounter ever happened?"

"Well, yes, I wanted to, but it's been bugging me all morning." At this statement, Lilly's attention perked up. Her curiosity was sparked.

"Oh really? And why is that?"

"I just want to know what's really going on with you two." Lilly exhaled loudly, disappointed with Miley's somewhat neutral query.

"Nothing. There is nothing going on between us." Miley didn't look convinced.

"Are you sure? Are you sure that you're just trying to play it off as nothing when you both in fact really do like each other?"

"Miley! How many times do I have to tell you, I only liked Oliver once! And the whole obsession only really had to do with those damn crayons." They both laughed.

"Well, if you're sure…" she trailed off and shrugged. Lilly nodded. She had a thought.

"Now, what about _you_?"

"Now what about me, what?" Miley asked. She said it really fast, suspiciously.

"Have you recently had any…different feelings towards a certain best friend?" Miley looked confused.

"Lilly, I have always loved you." She cocked her head to the side as she looked at her. "What more do you want from me?"

"Actually, Miles, I was referring to a certain brunette best friend of yours." Miley thought for a second. The final bell rang, and the class was about to start.

"Are you talking about Oliver?" Lilly just nodded again, and motioned for Miley to turn forward in her seat. Miley, of course, wanted to finish their conversation.

"What makes you think that I have different feelings towards Oliver all of a sudden?" she whispered. Lilly pretended not to hear her and made several hand gestures to tell her that. She also motioned for Miley to turn forward again. Miley gave out a frustrated sigh and turned back around. Class started seconds later.

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A/N: Please review! I tried to have less dialogue in this chapter, but what can I say? I love to talk, so naturally I'll make my characters talkative. This fic is based off of a show, right? So I figure it doesn't really matter that there's lots of talking, cuz that's what a show is basically made up of. : ) Next chapter will probably have more Moliver in it. This one had a lot of fun Lilly/Oliver banter. What? They're sooo cute as friends.

Danielle


	3. I Need To Get Out Before I Get Beat

A/N: Whatever. Here's the third chapter. Just review, please.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hannah Montana and anything related to the Disney Channel Show. And the title is a Hellogoodbye song.

**--Baby, It's Fact--**

Chapter Three: I Need To Get Out Before I Get Beat

When Miley got home after school on the same day that she and Lilly interrogated each other, she was still feeling really confused and for some reason, she felt slightly left out of the group. By "group" she meant her, Oliver and Lilly. Ever since that trip to the beach the day before she had felt like they were both hiding something from her, but she couldn't figure out what it was. For a while she thought that maybe there was something going on between her two best friends, something a little more than _friendly_, but then Lilly was so quick to disagree, and Miley had to admit that she didn't make it seem like she was lying. That didn't mean that she didn't rule it out, though.

"_What_ is going on?" she said out loud as she dropped her school bag onto her couch and then sat down. Jackson, who was in the kitchen the whole time, stuck his head out from where it had previously been in the refrigerator.

"I honestly don't know, Miles. For some reason there just never seems to be enough milk in the fridge to last a normal amount of time." He closed the refrigerator and went over to his younger sister of two years. She was outstretched on the couch, and when he got closer to her, he could see that she was glaring at him.

"Jackson, sometimes it's polite to let people know when you're in the room with them."

"Miley, sometimes it's nice to say something when you enter someone's home."

"It's my home!"

"Well it's my home too, and sometimes I just want to have a glass full of milk instead of this ridiculous excuse of an afternoon drink." He held up the glass of milk in his hand that was only filled to the middle.

"Could you please be just a little serious right now? It's hard for me to follow you when all you're talking about is your stupid milk! I mean, am I supposed to catch on to some deeper meaning? Am I supposed to be thinking, well, is Jackson really talking about milk or is he using it as a metaphor for something else? What do you want?" Jackson just stared at her as she went on her little rant. When she finished, he continued talking.

"I may be going on about my milk, but I'm not the one who just got caught talking to herself in allegedly empty house." Miley turned to him and glared again.

"What's your point?"

"I'm just saying!" He raised his eyebrows at her with this response.

"Well fine. If you really want to know, I'm just feeling a little frustrated cuz Lilly and Oliver are acting particularly strange around me."

"Why is that weird? Your friends have always been strange people." He then took a pull at his drink. He finished it in one gulp and then frowned. "Why?" he asked as he looked at the ceiling. Miley rolled her eyes at this display.

"They aren't any weirder than you, dear brother."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh nothing. Continue on with your little theory."

"It's not a theory, per say, just a known fact. Go on with _your_ story, please, so that I can further assess the situation."

"Fine." Miley sighed. "I don't have any proof, but I think that Oliver and Lilly have secretly started to date each other." At that blunt statement Jackson seemed to choke on the milk that he had already consumed two minutes before. He started to cough and then after a few seconds of Miley staring at him in confusion he finally got out, "Oh really?" Miley nodded her head emphatically. "And why do you think that?"

"Because they're keeping something from me!" Miley finally lost all control and she screamed her thought out loud. Jackson looked surprised at her outburst but decided not to comment on it. It wouldn't do any good. He knew that she would just hit him or something and then call him "inconsiderate". He let her continue her tirade.

"Also, I think Oliver was trying to tell me about them yesterday, but Lilly obviously got freaked when he did, so she made it seem like it was a joke and Oliver _had_ go along with it." She stopped talking and Jackson waited about thirty seconds to see if she had anything more to add before he started to talk.

"Do you really believe all this?"

"All what? They are going out with each other behind my back! There's not much else to consider!"

"Jeez. Calm down. Why are you so upset?" He had a sudden image of Lilly in his head, scolding him later on for saying this, but he went on anyways. "I happen to know for a fact that they are not dating." Right when he said it, though, he knew he had made a mistake. "I mean…" He tried to correct himself. "What am I talking about? I don't fully know the situation. Who am I to say whether or nothing they're dating?" He said all this really quickly and in a suspiciously nervous sounding voice. Lilly was not going to be happy with him.

"Jackson, what are you talking about?"

"Nothing. I don't know nothing!"

"Jackson. Spit. It. Out." He could tell that she was serious and was not going to stop badgering him until he told her something of significant importance. He contemplated telling her about how he was secretly crushing over her best friend, and actually seeing her behind everyone's back. He decided that it wasn't the best news to be relating to her at that point in time, plus, he knew that Lilly would kill him, and he did not want to be on her bad side. He was probably already going to get in trouble for _almost_ telling her about them. He couldn't even imagine what it would be like if he did tell her. There was only one thing left for him to tell his sister that would get her off his back.

"Miley, it's so obvious. I can't believe you haven't figured it out yet."

"What? What's so obvious? Tell me!" She had an anxious look on her face.

"Oliver." That's all he said. She waited, but he didn't say anything else afterwards.

"Care to elaborate, buddy?"

"You still haven't figured it out?"

"From you just saying 'Oliver'? No, no, I can't say I have." Jackson looked away from her, a little nervous at seeing her reaction when he told her what the obvious was.

"Oliver is like, in looove with, _dear_ sister." There was silence for about a minute after he said it. Finally, he got tired of staring straight ahead, so he turned his head slowly to the side to look at her. "He has been for a long time now."

Miley was just kind of looking at him, with a dazed look on her face. Jackson waved a hand in her face. She didn't blink or even flinch.

"Miles?" he asked as he waved his hand across her face again. This time she reacted with a shake of her head and a loud, "Huh?"

"You heard what I said." Miley shook her head, indicating that she had heard him.

"I don't," she started, and then paused. "I don't understand."

"What's not to understand? Oliver has the hots for you. And not the kind that's like a crush. The kind that's like, well, love."

"How do you know all this?" Miley asked, desperately wanting, needing to know the answer. Jackson knew for a fact this time that he couldn't open his mouth and tell her. Lilly would never forgive him if he betrayed her, and if he did, he'd once again put himself in the position of having to tell his sister that he was dating her best girl friend. He really didn't feel like getting beat up at the moment, by his girlfriend _and_ his sister. He at least didn't want to get chased around the house by Miley with a hair dryer like the last time he had snuck into Hannah's closet to "borrow" some stuff that he was actually going to sell online.

"Miles, I just know. Let's leave it at that, okay?" He stood up from the couch. He decided that they're conversation had gone on long enough and he needed to get away before he spilled anymore.

"I think I'm gonna go get some milk." He grabbed his keys from the coffee table and started to walk away, leaving Miley staring straight ahead at the TV, that was turned off. "Maybe I'll get a gallon." He opened the door. "Maybe I'll buy two…" The door shut and he was gone, leaving Miley alone in the big Malibu house, alone with not only herself, but her running thoughts.

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There were ten days until Christmas and Oliver was freaking was stressing about what he was going to give Miley. He wanted to take Lilly's advice and tell her about his feelings and he had to admit that the holidays really did make a nice backdrop, but he still felt scared. In the meantime, he wanted to get her something special, something he knew she would appreciate. He was having troubles finding what it would be, though.

"You're such a little chicken shit," he said to himself, a little harshly, but he was getting annoyed with himself more and more each day. He was at the mall, by himself, a place that he strongly disliked going, especially with the girls. He wasn't finding this solo excursion any better than when he was dragged by them, though. In fact, he thought it was worse. Then again, he didn't really like going out anywhere that he knew Miley loved without her. "God, I am so pathetic."

He was in some clothing store, looking down at a bunch of socks. He didn't even know how he got there, but he knew that socks were not the way to Miley's heart. That much he could comprehend. What exactly it would take to get Miley to want him back, the way he wanted her, he had no idea. He left the store as fast as his legs could carry him.

Soon, he was amongst crowds of people again, running about, carrying bags and bags of presents. He was glad to notice that he wasn't the only one muttering to himself. It seemed like everyone was under pressure.

Oliver had his hands in his pocket and his head down as he just strolled, when he bumped into someone.

"Oh jeez!" said the girl, and her voice had a familiar southern accent.

"Hey Miley," Oliver said, shocked to find his hands on her waist and hers clutching the front of his shirt. Miley blushed when she looked up at him. He was more than half a foot taller than her now. He didn't understand her embarrassment, though. He only understood his.

He quickly let go of her and started to pick up her bags, which were all scattered about around them.

"Oliver!" Miley finally said. She bent down to pick up her things too, and they accidentally bumped heads.

"Oww..." said both of them, rubbing their foreheads.

"Wow, we sure are clumsy today, aren't we?" Miley asked. He nodded and helped her up. She was clutching a medium sized pink bag that he recognized as from Victoria's Secret. When he glanced at it, she blushed some more and mumbled something about fragrances for Lilly. Oliver started to imagine Miley shopping in Victoria's Secret, and started to blush himself.

"What are you doing at the mall, Oken? I'm surprised to see you got yourself here without Lilly and I dragging you." Oliver laughed gently.

"Well, I still have a few gifts to pick out." He didn't want her to know he was shopping for her. "You know, for my mother," he added.

"Oh, really? Well, I can help you look, if you want. As you can see, I've gotten quite a lot done already." They both looked down at the bags in their hands. Oliver was holding three on each side, and she had one in each of her tiny hands. He couldn't fathom how she had walked around the mall by herself with all of them in her possession.

"That would be great, Miley, but, um, are you here alone?" He gestured at all the bags he was holding.

"Yeah. I mean, Jackson's here too, somewhere, but I've been shopping by myself. Don't ask me how I managed to carry all of that. I honestly don't know." She laughed as Oliver nodded. "It was only a matter of time before I would run into a cute guy to help carry all of them for me," she said as an afterthought, but then regretted it.

_Oh my God_, she thought. _What did I _just_ say_? She didn't want to look at Oliver. He didn't say anything, but when she finally did look up, he seemed a little flustered, but he had a pleased look on his face. She thought to herself, _Maybe Jackson's right. Maybe he _does_ like me. A little_.

Since he wasn't completely sure if she was calling him cute, he decided not to comment on her comment, but said, "Well, let's get going them."

"Yeah. What exactly were you thinking of getting your mom?" Oliver shrugged, and they both walked away. He was still holding all of her things and from a strangers point of view, they looked like an extremely good looking young couple off doing Christmas shopping together.

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A/N: Please review.

Danielle


	4. Please Don't Get Malled Out

A/N: I changed the age to sixteen, cuz it fits better, okay? Also, I've been feeling very down about the lack of reviews. I mean, three reviews for the last chapter? Ouch. And it confuses me because there are a bunch of hits on each chapter, and because people have been adding me to their author alert list and faves list. What's up guys? I'm going to ask for at least 10 before I update again (but I really want more)!

Thanks though to the people who have reviewed!

Disclaimer: I don't own Hannah Montana and anything related to the Disney Channel Show. And the title is a Hellogoodbye song.

**--Baby, It's Fact--**

Chapter Four: Please Don't Get Malled Out

They may have looked like a couple, but every single time a teenage guy passed by them and Miley gave them a smile, Oliver was reminded of how much they were so _not_ together. It hurt him to watch her blatantly flirting back and forth with these random boys, guys, all of them. It got so hard for him to see that at one point he started to walk faster than her, which was a hard task indeed since he was still carrying all of Miley's purchases. He heard her little heels clicking faster towards him when he did this.

"Oliver? What're you doing?" She let out a little laugh as she caught up with him, assuming that he was excited to get to their next destination.

"Nothing, I just want to finish all this shopping, so I can get home."

"Yeah, I know. We've been here for a while now. I wish we could hurry up and get home now, too."

"Well maybe if you'd stop winking at every guy who looks at you, then we'd be able to get out of here a lot quicker." Oliver couldn't help it. The words came out of his mouth faster than he could control it. He made a face of regret for a second after he said it, but then changed his mind. He was too angry and at that point he didn't care about what he'd said.

"What are you talking about? I was NOT winking at any guys!" she exclaimed, walking faster to keep up with his longer steps.

"Winking, grinning, _flirting_, whatever you want to call it, Miley, that's what you've been doing. And to tell you the truth, if you'd have concentrated on the task at hand, instead of wasting your time on boys that just think you have a nice body, then we could be at the beach right now." He knew he sounded harsh, not to mention jealous, but he just couldn't stand it anymore.

"Oliver!" Miley said his name and anyone could tell that she was upset. Her best friend was calling her a flirt right to her face, and she didn't like how angry he seemed to be at her.

"I honestly don't know what's gotten into you. Why are you getting so upset over nothing?" She waited for him to reply, but he didn't. "So what if I smile every at someone once in a while? It doesn't mean anything. It doesn't mean that I like them or want anything to do with them. And what makes you think that I would want to go to the beach with you after all of this?"

"Actually, I said that if you weren't such a big flirt then we could probably be at the beach right now. Don't mix my words up." Miley frowned when he called her a "flirt" again but decided to ignore it.

"Whatever, Oliver. It doesn't matter. You're getting all worked up over something stupid. Who cares if I 'flirt' a little? It doesn't mean _anything_." She emphasized on the "anything" part in a way that made Oliver feel slightly better. Only slightly. She continued to rant. "Isn't it obvious who I want to be with right now?" Now it was Miley's turn to be surprised at what she had the guts to say.

Oliver whipped his head to the side to look down at her when she blurted that last part out.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked suspiciously. Miley groaned loudly in frustration.

"Oh never _mind_! You're such a guy!" Now _she_ started to walk faster, and she didn't even realize that Oliver had stopped walking and was standing alone farther back, surrounded by a colorful array of shopping bags.

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Jackson was standing alone at a jewelry kiosk, staring down at a collection of silver necklaces. He couldn't decide which one he liked best; there were just too many nice-looking, shiny ones, and all of them were fighting for his attention at the same time. In his head, they were all calling out, "Pick me! Pick me!" He almost talked back to them out loud, but one look at the man running the kiosk told him that maybe it wasn't a good idea to talk to the necklaces, vocally at least.

He was looking for a gift for Lilly. They had only been seeing each other for a little more than a month, but he wanted to give her something nice to show her how much he appreciated her. It still amazed him that they were together and that she actually seemed to like him as much as he liked her. He smiled just thinking about her.

"May I look at this one, please?" he asked the balding man sitting in front of the cashier. He was pointing to a necklace that had a heart pendant on it. The special thing about it was that he was pretty sure that it was the necklace version of a claddagh ring. The heart was being touched on each side by two hands encrusted with small diamonds and in the middle there was a slightly bigger diamond. Also, on the crown of the heart there were two green stones. It was terribly pretty to look at and Jackson wondered if Lilly would like it.

When the man took it out for him, and Jackson was actually holding it in his hands, he knew that it was the perfect Christmas gift to give her. He wanted to let her know in a subtle way that she had his heart and he was sure he would be able to tell if she felt the same way by her reaction after receiving this specific present.

Not caring how much it cost, he took out his credit card and within five minutes he was walking away from the kiosk, a small, plain bag in his right hand. He went off in search of his sister, and once again, he thought about telling her. It upset him that Miley didn't know about him and Lilly. He had desperately wanted her opinion on what present to get Lilly, but he had promised that he wouldn't tell her, at least not yet. All the secrecy was starting to get to him, but every once in a while he couldn't help but admit that it was exciting, the sneaking around.

It was thrilling to be able to grab Lilly and pull her into a corner of the house and give her a sweet kiss, which he did whenever she was over visiting Miley. Sometimes she would even let him kiss her longer than intended and _he_ would actually have to be the one to stop them, incase Miley were to come looking for her best friend. He cringed just thinking about that being the way his little sister was to find out about them; catching them kissing passionately in the linen closet, under the stairwell, in the guest bathroom…

Jackson soon realized that he was getting caught up in his little daydreams, so he hastily stopped his train of thought and pulled out his cell phone. He decided to call Miley, knowing that it would be impossible for him to find her in the large and heavily crowded mall.

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"Miley!" Oliver called out as he watched her stomp away from him in apparent rage. "Wait!" He started to pick up all the bags. She heard him and turned around, and was surprised to see that he had stopped and was now picking up all of her bags that he had obviously dropped. He looked sort of ridiculous and she couldn't help but feel bad about the way she had just stormed off away from him. She stopped walking and waited for him to catch up with her.

When he caught up to her, they just stood face-to-face, not saying anything.

"What did you mean when you said that, Miley?" Oliver eventually asked softly.

"What are you talking about?"

"I think you know what I'm talking about." Miley felt trapped. She herself didn't even really know what she had meant when she insinuated that she liked Oliver. She wasn't even sure if she really did, but for some reason, even though he apparently hadn't noticed, every chance she got, she would walk closer to him, as close as she could get with all the bags in between them, and gently brush her shoulder against his. She liked the feeling of bumping into his toned arm every once in a while; she wasn't afraid to admit that; to herself, at least. Letting Oliver in on the fact that she had been doing this was a whole other obstacle to overcome.

"Can we not talk about this right, now?" Miley asked, finally speaking up. If he didn't know it then, she didn't want to be the one to tell him that she had actually been toying with the idea that maybe when people saw them walking together, they thought they were a couple. She didn't want to be the one to tell him that she had actually been trying to flirt with _him_. If he couldn't see it then, then she would have to let it slide. She didn't have the guts to let him know yet.

Oliver had been waiting patiently for her to answer, completely believing that she would immediately shoot down what he thought she meant, that she wanted to be with him. He was surprised at her response. He blinked a couple times and then answered her.

"Sure, I guess."

"Yeah, let's just go." They continued to walk through the mall and Oliver couldn't help but let a small smile show on his clean-shaven face.

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About a minute later, Miley's cell phone started to ring. She picked it up, and it was Jackson. He wanted to meet up with her so that they could go home. They agreed to meet at the food court.

She didn't let him know that Oliver was with her, so when she arrived at the table in front of the place they discussed, Jackson looked at her in surprise when he saw that she was only carrying two bags.

"Wow, Miles. I didn't know you were capable of coming to the mall and only coming out with two bags." He lifted up his little plastic bag with no visible design on it. "I myself have managed to keep it down to one small purchase." That's when he noticed that there was a guy standing next to her. He was holding so many bags that Jackson couldn't even begin to guess how many were actually there.

"Hey Oliver, man. What're you doing here?" He grinned. "I see that my sister here has managed to make you her personal slave." Oliver blushed. He couldn't help it. The thought of him being Miley's personal slave brought slightly naughty thoughts into his head. He cleared his throat and then said, "I really don't mind." Miley smirked at Jackson.

"You were right, brother. I don't think I can leave the mall with only two bags." They then headed out together, and Jackson helped carry some of his sister's things.

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A/N: You know what I want you to do. : )


	5. I Like The Way It Rolls Off My Tongue

A/N: I wrote another chapter. I didn't want people to forget about this story.

It's basically a transitional chapter, so please bear with it. It's also pretty cheesy. I can't help it. I like cheese. : )

Disclaimer: I don't own Hannah Montana and anything related to the Disney Channel Show. And the title is a Hellogoodbye song.

**--Baby, It's Fact--**

Chapter Five: I Like The Way It Rolls Off My Tongue

Exactly a week later, on December 22, exactly three days before Christmas and two before Hannah's concert, Oliver had a conniption. He had been thinking day and night about what he was going to do about Miley's Christmas present when suddenly, it came to him, and he was so excited about it. Actually, it didn't come to him so much _suddenly_ as it was that after going through every possible gift idea he could think of, making mental lists and finally thinking random, strange and unique thoughts in hope that something would stand out, that he came to the conclusion of what he was going to do. Yes, he was sure it was the perfect way to win Miley's heart, especially since it had been a whole week since they went shopping together, and he had embarrassed himself. He knew he had to do something incredible to make her fall for him. What he didn't quite realize was how much Miley felt that _she_ had been the one to embarrass herself, though.

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Miley spent the whole week trying to avoid Oliver, leaving the room whenever she was likely to be left alone with him, running in the opposite direction if she saw him in the halls at school, and he in turn, was so focused on her gift, that he didn't even realize. He didn't notice that he was never really alone with her, and that for some reason, Lilly always had some "problem" that needed to be discussed with Miley, and only Miley. He also didn't realize that these encounters always seemed to happen in the girl's bathroom at school.

That Monday, Lilly turned the tables and dragged Miley into the bathroom.

"Lil! What are you doing?" she asked, and tried to wrench her arm free of Lilly's strong grip.

"I just wanted to bring you in here to let you know that I'm not going to act like your scapegoat anymore. If you're so afraid of being around Oliver, then so be it. I no longer care. And don't try to use the Best Friend card on me, cuz it's not going to work. Deal with it yourself from now on, okay? I'm sick of coming into this bathroom with you every single day and waiting until Oliver gets smart enough to walk away." Miley just listened to her as she ranted. "Get it?" Miley nodded 'yes'.

"But, Lilly, why did you bring me into the bathroom then, if you're so sick of it?" Lilly gave her a look. "Oh, do you need to go to the bathroom?"

"Yes!" Lilly squeaked, before running into a stall. Miley just smirked and walked out of the room. Unfortunately for her, Oliver was still standing outside.

"Hey Miley! What's wrong with Lilly today?"

"Oh, nothing at the moment. She's just using the facilities. Everything's extremely normal. Yup."

"Oh." He was grinning, big time.

"What makes you so smiley, Oken?" she asked, a bit curious.

"Oh…not much. I'm just happy," he replied.

"Really? Well, that's good to know."

"Yeah, actually I wanted to talk to you about—"

"Hey, Oliver? I have to go, okay? Talk to you later!" and with that, Miley took off down the hall, leaving Lilly in the bathroom washing her hands and a speechless, but still smiley Oliver, in her path.

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"Miley, I don't get you," Lilly said. Then she blurted out what she had been wanting to say for days. "I know you like Oliver." Miley made a face and tried to object in a believable way, though even she knew that anything she said _wouldn't_ be too convincing.

"How do you know that Lilly?" she replied, trying to keep her voice indifferent. "Huh? I haven't once done anything that should make you think that I have a crush on him. You're just basing your assumptions on stupid speculation."

"Are you serious?" Lilly asked. She stared at Miley for a few seconds and her question was answered. "You _are_ serious. You're trying to tell me that you don't like Oliver, and that you've done absolutely nothing to make me think so? That's it's all--" she gasped, "STUPID speculation?"

"Yes," she said simply.

"Well, I think you're in love with Oliver—" now _Miley_ gasped, "And, I think you're a delusional twit."

"Not true! Not true!"

"Miley, give t up! Stop trying to hide from the truth. And stop acting like you're in middle school."

"But…I don't…" she started to protest again, but then realized it was a lost cause. Lilly was right, and _she_ knew it. Partially, at least. There was no point in drawing out the inevitable any longer. "Lilly, I'm not in love with Oliver."

"Hah! But you admit that you like him? _Really_ like him? FINALLY?" Miley closed her eyes tightly as Lilly said this, as if doing so would transport her away from where she was, in a conversation she didn't want to be in. As if having her eyes closed she would be transported to a place Lilly-Truscott-free. Then she sighed loudly, as if it hurt her to admit what she said next.

"Yes, fine. I admit it. I'm crushin' on the Smokin' Oken!"

"Aha! Some honesty at last!" Lilly was one to speak.

"Hey, you can't tell him," she said, knowing Lilly would want to do just that as soon as possible.

"But why not? I want to see you two together." Miley shook her head furiously and waved her hands.

"No. That's not a good idea. And I don't think _that's_ ever gonna happen. _That_ being me and Oliver. I don't even know why I'm bothering. I truly don't even know why I like him."

"Um, maybe because he's perfect for you, perchance?" Lilly guessed.

"Lilly, did you just say the word 'perchance'?"

"Yes, indeed, I did!" she replied, quite obviously proud of herself.

"You never cease to amaze me."

"Thanks, I love you, too."

"_Okay_…so why do you think he's so perfect for me, precisely? Why don't you think he's perfect as just my friend?"

"I think he's perfect for you because you like him and he…" she paused, trying to decide whether or not she should tell her best friend that her other best friend was crushing on her, too.

"What does he…exactly?" Miley asked, clearly interested in the answer.

"Well, I'm sure he thinks you're pretty," she finished lamely.

"Pretty, huh? Well that makes me feel so much better. Thanks for that little piece of info." Lilly patted Miley on the back.

"No problem, buddy!" Miley just glared at her.

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"You're going to do _what_ exactly?" Lilly asked. She decided she couldn't trust her ears and needed Oliver to repeat himself.

"You heard me," Oliver claimed. Lilly nodded.

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure I did, but I don't think I completely understand."

"You _heard_ what I said, and I _know_ you understand what it means."

"Okay. Fine. So, uh, when are you going to, er, do this? Give Miley her present?"

"Easy. At her concert on Christmas eve."

"What? Are you just going to rush the stage or something equally lame and self deprecating?" Lilly shook her head 'no' as she said this. "Uh, uh, Oliver, no. I'm not so sure that's the best idea. She might think you've turned into Crazy Stalker Oliver again."

"Not a problem. I'll be so quick and to the point that she won't have time to think the words 'crazy' or 'stalker' at all."

"You're weird."

"I am aware of that, yes."

"And you really think that this is the best way to tell Miley how you feel about her? The best way to tell her you love her?"

"It _was_ your idea that I tell her now, might I remind you? This is all I could come up with, and I personally think it's genius."

"Yeah, I know. But I thought that you were going to be a normal human being and just tell her. You know, like I told Jackson before we got together." Oliver made a gagging motion.

"Okay, I know I know about your little thing going on with Jackson, but that doesn't mean I like it and want to hear details. It's not my fault I walked in on you two canoodaling in public on a bench on the beach!"

"Hey, we were not so-called 'canoodaling'! And how old are you?"

"I do believe you know my age, dear Lilly."

"Yeah, but you sure don't act sixteen sometimes."

"If it's a crime to say the word canoodaling, then arrest me, please, because I'm going to keep saying it. Ca-noo-da-ling. _Canoodaling_."

"Oh, you are _so_ lame. It's not even a word."

"Who cares? Now, can you please be a little serious and tell me what you really think about my idea?"

"Are you insinuating that _I'm_ the one not being serious?"

"Please answer the question already."

"You really want me to comment on your idea?"

"Yes! Will you please tell me what you think about me telling Miley I love her by singing her a song?"

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A/N: hahaha, that's gonna be funny. Please review!


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